During our ten years together, Kendric Holloway and I had been divorced ten times.

The eleventh happened while he was out ring shopping with his mistress.

"Julie's pregnant. The divorce is just to make her happy," he told me. "We'll remarry in eight months.

"During this time, you'll have to stay elsewhere, but make sure to bring our meals on time, three times a day.

"Oh, and get certified as a babysitter. Julie's too delicate—taking care of the baby is too much for her."

Holding the divorce certificate, I simply nodded.

As I turned to leave, Kendric's friend snickered.

"Ken, I'm impressed. You've really got her under your thumb."

Kendric smirked. "That's nothing. She's just cheap.

"Even if I don't remarry her, she'll still raise my kid and be my side piece willingly."

I said nothing and sent a message to the man waiting for me.

"The divorce is final. When are we getting married?"

***

His reply came almost instantly.

"Tomorrow. I'll be on the first flight back."

Seconds later, an 8.5-million-dollar transfer hit my account.

The note read: "Get yourself something nice."

A small smile touched my lips. I slipped my phone into my pocket and turned to leave.

Kendric caught that smile and stopped me with a frown.

"Catriona, why were you smiling? Don't tell me you've lost your mind from heartbreak."

Logically, I should have been heartbroken.

The first time Kendric asked for a divorce over the new intern, Juliette Firth, I was shattered, crying for days.

I even knelt before him in front of all our friends and family, begging him to stay.

And when that didn't work, I slit my wrists. But he still didn't change his mind.

However, this time, I eyed him calmly.

"Congrats. You're finally going to be a father."

Kendric nodded dismissively.

"Don't worry," he then said, voice flat. "Once the baby's born, we'll remarry.

"As long as you play your part, I'll even have the child call you Mom in public."

Over the past nine years, I'd heard similar promises too many times.

It all began when Kendric became obsessed with Juliette.

He lavished her with gifts worth 160 thousand dollars, yet she still refused to be his mistress.

So he divorced me without hesitation.

After he took her virginity, he showed me photos of them in bed, gloating.

"See? She's different. Pure. Fresh."

From then on, Kendric became addicted to the thrill.

One time, they got carried away in a snowy cabin, and he made me trek for ten kilometers in a blizzard to bring her birth control pills.

When Juliette was in a bad mood, he forced me to kneel and bark like a dog.

Whenever she was angry with me—whether because I was late delivering something or because my barks weren't loud enough—he'd divorce me just to keep her happy.

Then he'd secretly remarry me to keep the family alliance intact.

After nine years of this, I felt nothing now.

I walked toward the door, expressionless.

Just then, Juliette's shrill voice rang out behind me.

"I don't like any of these rings. I want the one on Catriona's finger!"

"Alright, sweetheart, don't be upset. I'll get it for you right now," Kendric said, his cold demeanor instantly melting away.

He ripped the ring off my finger and carefully held it out to her.

The diamonds cut into my skin.

And the ten-carat yellow topaz gleamed red with my blood.

Juliette glanced at the ring with a frown and tossed it away.

"It's gross."

Kendric wasn't the least bit upset, just soothing her patiently.

Juliette wasn't appeased until he promised her the family ruby ring.

Fighting back tears, I bent to pick up the ring—my late mother's keepsake—shaking all over.

But Kendric suddenly stepped on my hand.

"This is your fault, Catriona Whitworth! You upset Julie. Fix this, or you're no longer part of this family!"

A chill swept over me.

Not because I couldn't bear to lose him, but because I knew how cruel he could be.

Once, when I refused to wash Juliette's lingerie, she threw a tantrum, ignoring Kendric for days.

Fuming over his unfulfilled desires, Kendric stripped me naked and locked me out on the balcony.

While they had sex all night, I stood out there shivering, eventually collapsing from a high fever.

But Kendric wouldn't let anyone take me to the hospital. And when I finally came to, he even forced me to clean up their mess.

Recalling that, I lowered my head in resignation and sank into a deep bow.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

Suddenly, someone kicked me from behind.

I stumbled, slamming my head into a counter, and a large bump instantly rose on my forehead.

The pain was so sharp that tears welled up in my eyes.

I lay on the floor, trembling.

Kendric nudged me with his shoe.

"Drop the act! It was just a little bump," he hissed.

"Forget it. I can't be bothered with this. Tomorrow you're coming to my grandpa's place with me. Tell them you want that ring. Don't you dare slip up!"

With that, he hurried away, holding Juliette's hand.

It took a long time for me to get up.

Bits of gravel were embedded in my skin.

I staggered to the curb, trying to hail a cab to the hospital.

Suddenly, a car swerved toward me, and Juliette was behind the wheel.

With a deafening crash, everything went black.

Half-conscious, I caught Kendric's conversation with a doctor.

"Catriona miscarried?" Kendric asked.

"Forget about her," he continued. "All that matters is that the baby inside Julie is okay. Send every doctor and nurse over to her. I'll watch over this one myself."

Then the door opened, and Kendric walked in.

The moment our eyes met, a flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.

"I didn't know you were pregnant," he said with a stiff, uneasy tone.

"But a miscarriage isn't the end of the world—it's not even your first.

"Now that the baby's gone, you can focus on taking care of Julie and her child."

I stayed silent, but for some reason, my mind went back to our first child.

At that time, Kendric had just gotten together with Juliette.

She threw a fit, crying that she didn't want to ruin his family.

To reassure her, Kendric forced me to take an abortion pill.

"Getting pregnant won't change anything between us," he'd told me. "I hate kids—especially yours."

Because of the botched medication, I had to undergo a D&C.

When I was wheeled out of the operating room, I received photos from Juliette.

While I was bleeding out, she and Kendric were having a three-day marathon of passionate sex inside our home.

The trash was piled with dozens of used condoms.

The antique bed I'd brought now stood with a broken leg—a testament to the intensity of their lovemaking.

Kendric even framed the bloody handkerchief from Juliette's first night and hung it on the wall, replacing our wedding photo.

From that day on, I stopped expecting anything from him.

I held onto the marriage only to maintain the business ties between our families.

I lowered my gaze and said nothing. Kendric handed me a mug.

"I made you chicken soup. Have some before it gets cold."

Just as I lifted my arm, a sharp pain shot through it.

Before I could ask what had happened, Kendric guiltily looked away.

"Julie got hurt in the car crash. She's obsessive with her looks, and I didn't want her to scar, so... I had a piece of your skin transplanted onto her."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

Instead of remorse, irritation flared in him.

"Don't play the victim. If you hadn't darted into the street out of nowhere and scared her, she wouldn't have been hurt! This is all your fault—you have to make it right!"

Worked up, he slammed the table, knocking over the chicken soup. The scalding liquid splashed across my thigh, burning my skin red.

Fighting back tears, I reached for the call button.

But Kendric grabbed my wrist.

"Julie's in pain after surgery. She needs the doctors with her.

"You're tough—you can handle it. Stop being dramatic."

Blood seeped from the wound on my arm.

Just as I was about to speak, a doctor rushed in.

"Ms. Firth is showing severe rejection. She needs another surgery."

At that, Kendric yanked me to my feet and dragged me toward Juliette's room.

The moment he saw Juliette's tear-filled eyes, his expression softened with undisguised tenderness.

"Don't be scared, Julie. Catriona has plenty of skin. If it still doesn't work this time, we'll just try again and again..."

The doctor immediately cut him off.

"Mr. Holloway, we can't do that. The donor's body takes serious damage from each surgery. If we do it again, your wife's arm will be ruined. She won't be able to play the piano again."

Without a second thought, Kendric shoved me forward.

"Perfect. If she can't play, Julie can take her place as first chair."

Then he turned to me. "You can just be a housewife. I'll provide for you forever."

To ensure the procedure went smoothly, he even ordered the doctor not to give me anesthesia.

As I lay there, drenched in sweat, face drained of all color, he gave my shoulder a light, almost guilty, pat.

"I'll make it up to you. I'll... come home more often."

Behind us, Juliette clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Kendric immediately turned back, scooping her into his arms.

He showered her with gifts and money, promising to whisk her off to the Maldives, as if I no longer existed.

Right then, my phone rang, cutting through his endless stream of promises.

The moment I saw the familiar name on the screen, the pain seemed to ease.

I sent a brief message to let him know I was okay.

When I looked up, I met Kendric's suspicious gaze.

"Who was that?"

"One of your family members."

Kendric didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

After a curt warning not to tell on him, he dropped the subject.

In his eyes, there was no way I could be involved with another man.

Because after our marriage, he had severed all my social connections, leaving me to revolve entirely around him and his family.

I didn't want to deal with the two of them flirting and bickering behind me, so I grabbed my phone and prepared to leave.

But as I stood, a wave of dizziness hit me.

I was about to fall when Kendric caught me from behind, his eyes flashing with concern.

"Um... once you're fully healed, why don't you come to the Maldives with us? You could really use a break."

"No thanks," I said coldly.

Not long ago, he had taken me on what was supposed to be a honeymoon to make up for the one I never had.

Once there, though, it turned out Juliette couldn't stomach the food and expected me to act as her unpaid personal chef.

I refused.

Enraged, Kendric threw away my phone and passport, leaving me stranded and penniless in a foreign country where I didn't speak the language.

I nearly got trafficked and only managed to return home after a nightmare of struggle.

This time, I wouldn't be fooled.

My cold response clearly annoyed Kendric.

He instinctively wanted to scold me, as he always did, but when he saw my pale, hollow face, the words died in his throat.

"Well, get some rest, then. I'll bring you back a gift."

A gift? Probably one of Juliette's cast-off freebies.

I gave a bitter smile, not bothering to reply.

Then I headed to collect my test results.

Most of the hospital staff had been sent to tend to Juliette.

After a long wait, only an intern arrived, looking at me with pity.

"The car crash didn't leave you with serious injuries—just a few minor scrapes," she said gently.

"But Ms. Whitworth, this is your second miscarriage. If you don't take proper care, it could cause lifelong complications."

She wanted to say more, but someone hurried her off to Juliette's prenatal checkup.

Their conversation reached my ears.

"Why are you bending over backwards for her? Everyone knows she's only Mrs. Holloway in name. Ms. Firth is the one Mr. Holloway truly loves!

"Now that Ms. Firth's pregnant, that pathetic woman will be kicked out any minute!"

At work or elsewhere, anyone who stood up for me would be dismissed by Juliette under any excuse.

Not wanting to get the intern into trouble, I clutched my report and left quietly.

On the cab ride home, fireworks erupted across the sky.

Watching the fireworks, the driver couldn't help commenting, "Word is the Holloway Group CEO's wife is pregnant.

"They're celebrating with a whole month of fireworks. Rich men really go all out to pamper their wives."

I thought of the two children I had lost, and a deep, sharp pain flared up.

I lowered my head to my phone to distract myself, but the news headlines were all about the same thing.

"Kendric Holloway Spends Big to Protect Wife and Unborn Child"

"Kendric Holloway Buys Out City's Baby Supplies"

"Kendric Holloway Funds 100 Charity Schools to Bless His Wife and Unborn Child"

He was making a grand spectacle, determined to announce to the world the joy of becoming a father for the first time.

A wave of bitterness surged inside me.

When I lost my first child, I had cried myself through the night.

I wanted him to join me in lighting candles for the baby at the church, but he dismissed me as unlucky.

He said I was ruining his fun with Juliette and even left me alone in the middle of nowhere.

So Kendric didn't hate kids.

He just didn't love me.

I sighed and went back home, utterly exhausted.

While I was packing, Kendric returned.

He looked at the suitcase in my hands, a flicker of pity crossing his face.

"Look, you don't have to move out," he said.

"I know you can't bear to leave me. You can stay in the guest room. Julie's reasonable—she won't make things difficult."

My injuries throbbed faintly.

I shook my head.

"We're divorced. There's no reason for me to stay here.

"I don't want anything else—just return the shares I brought into this marriage."

Kendric looked like he wanted to persuade me to stay.

I added, "That way, when Juliette moves in, she won't be upset seeing my things."

At that, Kendric quickly opened the safe.

After searching for a while, he found the crumpled contract under a table leg.

Nonchalantly, he explained, "The last time Julie and I were in the study, things got a little intense, so I just grabbed it to balance the table."

I lowered my head, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in the contract.

But tears spilled uncontrollably.

"Kendric... you've gone too far."

Marrying up was a painful ordeal.

Although my family business was no match for the Holloway Group, it was the result of my parents' lifelong hard work.

Before my mother passed away, she gave everything to me, hoping I would have a better life in the Holloway family.

Her love and their hard-won effort should not have been treated like this.

For the first time, I allowed myself to show vulnerability in front of Kendric.

And he looked flustered.

"I didn't mean it. Your shares aren't worth much anyway—I'll pay you back double, alright?" Kendric said.

He pulled out his phone to transfer the money.

As he was entering the PIN, Juliette called, saying she was afraid of the dark.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"She's delicate. She can't fall asleep without me there.

"It's not safe for you to move out alone at night. Just wait until tomorrow morning. Before you go, make sure you drop off a sugar-free breakfast at the hospital. She's pregnant and picky."

I ignored his demands, dragging my suitcase back to my room.

When I woke up, I saw two new messages on my phone.

One was from that man.

"See you at the city hall at 1 p.m."

The other was from Kendric.

"It's going to rain, and you're still recovering, so don't move out just yet. Rest at home and don't bother bringing Julie food. I'm taking her to Velluto Restaurant for dinner."

In nine years of marriage, this was the first time Kendric had ever told me his plans.

It was also the first time he'd ever shown me any concern.

But it was far too late.

I quietly blocked his number.

After checking my luggage one last time, I was ready to leave.

The moment I stepped out the door, Kendric stormed out of his Ferrari, face twisted in rage.

He came up to me and slapped me hard across the face.

"You bitch. Playing the perfect wife in front of me, then running off to complain to Grandpa, getting him to cancel my credit cards.

"I was going to rent out a whole venue to propose to Julie today, and you ruined it! You made me look like a fool!

"Don't even dream of remarrying me. And don't you dare step foot in any Holloway house again!"

Even after hitting me, Kendric was still fuming.

He kicked my suitcase into the pool.

Everything my parents had carefully prepared for me was now drenched.

Despite the buzzing in my head, I jumped in.

My wounds, not yet healed, split open again, blood spreading through the water.

By the time I had dragged everything out, my body was swollen and my skin was utterly pale.

Juliette pretended to drape a coat over my shoulders, but her fingers dug mercilessly into my wound.

"You think you can rest easy with Sir Holloway on your side? Kendric loves me and will only marry me!" she said with a malicious grin.

"We're getting our marriage license this afternoon. You can cry over your divorce papers all you want."

I clung to the edge of the pool, panting, in too much pain to speak.

Kendric spat on me, then walked off with Juliette in his arms.

A kind passerby took me to the hospital.

While I was there, Juliette kept sending me taunting messages.

When I had that car accident, Kendric hung up on my call for help—he was at a concert with her.

When I was removed from the Holloway Group board for leaking files, it was Kendric who set me up to pave the way for Juliette.

Kendric and Juliette had slept together everywhere, from his office to our home, even under our parents' roof.

I knew she was trying to make me give up.

But what she didn't know was that I had stopped loving Kendric a long time ago.

I switched off my phone and went straight to the city hall.

The man I had been longing for was already there, waiting.

He handed me our marriage license and slipped a diamond ring onto my finger, his expression serious.

"I'll get the car and take you home," he said.

No sooner had he left than Kendric walked in with Juliette on his arm.

"Catriona, I've told you—I will never remarry you. Stop clinging to me," he snapped.

I didn't want to hear another word of his accusations, so I cut him off.

"You've got it wrong. I have no intention of clinging to you. Because..."

I held up the marriage license in my hand.

"I'm married."